US9611430B2 - Method of handling a solvent-containing solids stream in a non-aqueous oil sand extraction process - Google Patents

Method of handling a solvent-containing solids stream in a non-aqueous oil sand extraction process Download PDF

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Publication number
US9611430B2
US9611430B2 US14/166,355 US201414166355A US9611430B2 US 9611430 B2 US9611430 B2 US 9611430B2 US 201414166355 A US201414166355 A US 201414166355A US 9611430 B2 US9611430 B2 US 9611430B2
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solvent
containing solids
solids stream
pressure
vessel
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US20140209511A1 (en
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Ingmar Hubertus Josephina Ploemen
Gerhardus Willem Colenbrander
Steven Paul Giles
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Canadian Natural Upgrading Ltd
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Shell Oil Co
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
    • C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
    • C10G1/00—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal
    • C10G1/04—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal by extraction

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  • the present invention relates to a method of handling, in particular depressurizing, a solvent-containing solids stream in a non-aqueous oil sand extraction process (i.e. using a non-aqueous solvent).
  • bitumen (sometimes referred to as “tar” or “bituminous material”) from oil sands as found in various locations throughout the world and in particular in Canada such as in the Athabasca district in Alberta and in the United States such as in the Utah oil sands.
  • oil sand also known as “bituminous sand” or “tar sand”
  • bitumen comprises a mixture of bitumen (in this context also known as “crude bitumen”, a semi-solid form of crude oil; also known as “extremely heavy crude oil”), sand, clay minerals and water.
  • oil sand contains about 5 to 25 wt. % bitumen (as meant according to the present invention), about 1 to 13 wt. % water, the remainder being sand and clay particles.
  • a problem of known methods of non-aqueous extraction of bitumen from oil sand is the handling of solvent-containing solids streams and in particular the removal of the non-aqueous solvent from the solids. Significant amounts of heat would be needed to evaporate the non-aqueous solvent. Also, if a pressure-filtration step (i.e. applying pressure above the filter bed during filtration) would be used during filtration this may create issues with respect to depressurizing the pressurized stream (viz. the processed filter cake that has been removed from the filter), which would typically take place in a rotary valve or lock hopper, which devices are expensive and sensitive to wear.
  • One or more of the above or other objects may be achieved according to the present invention by providing a method of handling a solvent-containing solids stream in a non-aqueous oil sand extraction process, the method comprising at least the steps of:
  • step (b) depositing the solvent-containing solids stream provided in step (a) as a bed in a vessel;
  • step (b) wherein the solvent-containing solids stream in the vessel in step (b) is at a temperature above the boiling point of the solvent in the depressurized solvent-containing solids stream at the second pressure in step (c).
  • the method according to the present invention provides a surprisingly simple and elegant manner to handle solvent-containing solids streams in an oil sand extraction process using a non-aqueous solvent.
  • the method according to the present invention is, although not limited thereto, of particular use in handling, in particular depressurizing, a pressurized solvent-containing solids stream (such as the heated filter cake obtained in a pressure-filtration step) in a non-aqueous oil sand extraction process.
  • An advantage of the present invention is that very simple outlet devices such as cone valves can be used. There is no need to use more complicated outlet devices such as rotary star valves or lock hoppers.
  • pressure barriers are established by valve compartments separated by the valve vanes of the rotary star valve (according to the present invention, the bed of solvent-containing solids functions as a pressure barrier).
  • Such rotary star valves are expensive, sensitive to wear and maintenance-intensive. Also, replacement of such rotary star valves may take a long time.
  • a non-aqueous oil sand extraction process comprises at least the steps of:
  • reducing the oil sand ore in size e.g. by crushing, breaking and/or grinding, to below a desired size upper limit (such as for example 20 inch);
  • filter cake a solids-depleted stream and a solids-enriched stream
  • bitumen-enriched stream that can be further processed to obtain the bitumen.
  • the bitumen may subsequently be further processed in e.g. a refinery.
  • the method according to the present invention is of particular use for depressurizing a solvent-containing solids stream (i.e. the ‘filter cake’ as mentioned above) after a pressure-filtration step.
  • a solvent-containing solids stream is provided at a first pressure.
  • the solvent-containing solids stream is obtained in a non-aqueous oil sand extraction process (i.e. using a non-aqueous solvent) and is preferably obtained in a pressure-filtration step in the non-aqueous oil sand extraction process.
  • the solvent as used in the method of the present invention may be selected from a wide variety of non-aqueous solvents (although a small amount of water may be present), aromatic hydrocarbon solvents and saturated or unsaturated aliphatic (i.e. non-aromatic) hydrocarbon solvents; aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents may include linear, branched or cyclic alkanes and alkenes and mixtures thereof.
  • the solvent comprises an aliphatic hydrocarbon having from 3 to 9 carbon atoms per molecule, more preferably from 4 to 7 carbons per molecule, or a combination thereof.
  • solvents are saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons such as propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane, octane and nonane (including isomers thereof), in particular butane, pentane, hexane and heptanes, preferably pentane.
  • the solvent in step (a) comprises at least 50 wt. %, preferably at least 90 wt. % of the aliphatic hydrocarbon having from 3 to 9 carbon atoms per molecule, more preferably at least 95 wt. %.
  • substantially no aromatic solvent such as toluene or benzene is present, i.e.
  • the solvent has a boiling point lower than that of the bitumen to facilitate easy separation and recovery.
  • the solvent-containing solids stream provided in step (a) is preferably a filter cake obtained in the oil sand extraction process.
  • the solvent-containing solids stream provided in step (a) contains from 1.0 wt. % to 20 wt. % solvent.
  • the solvent-containing solids stream provided in step (a) contains from 2.0 wt. % to 15 wt. % solvent, preferably at least 3.0 wt. %, more preferably at least 4.0 wt. % and preferably at most 12 wt. %, more preferably at most 10 wt. %, based on the weight of the solids in the solvent-containing solids stream.
  • the solvent-containing solids stream provided in step (a) contains from 2.0 wt. % to 10 wt. % water, preferably at least 3.0 wt. % and preferably at most 7.0 wt. %, based on the weight of the solids in the solvent-containing solids stream.
  • the solvent-containing solids stream provided in step (a) contains from 0.1 wt. % to 10 wt. % bitumen, preferably at least 0.2 wt. %, more preferably at least 0.3 wt. % and preferably at most 2.0 wt. %, more preferably at most 1.5 wt. %, based on the weight of the solids in the solvent-containing solids stream.
  • the solvent-containing solids stream provided in step (a) contains from 79.0 wt. % to 97.0 wt. % solids, preferably at least 85.0 wt. %, more preferably at least 88.0 wt. %, and preferably at most 96.0 wt. %, more preferably at most 94.0 wt. %.
  • the first pressure in step (a) is at an elevated level and equal to or slightly above the vapour pressure of the solvent-containing solids stream.
  • the solvent-containing solids stream provided in step (a) has a (first) pressure from 1.5 bara to 6.0 bara, preferably at least 2.0 bara and preferably at most 5.0 bara.
  • the solvent-containing solids stream provided in step (a) is typically at an elevated temperature.
  • the solvent-containing solids stream provided in step (a) has a temperature from 50° C. to 100° C., preferably at least 60° C. and preferably at most 90° C.
  • step (b) the solvent-containing solids stream provided in step (a) is deposited as a bed in a vessel.
  • the vessel is not limited in any way.
  • the vessel is selected such that the discharge (in step (c)) of the solvent-containing solids stream through a bottom outlet is facilitated.
  • the bed of solvent-containing solids is not supported (by a grid, mesh or the like) as this would hamper the subsequent discharge of the solvent-containing solids.
  • step (c) the solvent-containing solids stream is discharged from the vessel at a second pressure via an outlet, thereby obtaining a depressurized solvent-containing solids stream.
  • the second pressure (in step (c)) is at a lower pressure than the first pressure (in step (a)).
  • the depressurized solvent-containing solids stream obtained in step (c) has a pressure from 0.8 bara to 1.5 bara, preferably from 0.9 bara to 1.2 bara.
  • the depressurized solvent-containing solids stream obtained in step (c) has a temperature from 40° C. to 60° C., preferably at least 45° C. and preferably at most 55° C.
  • the outlet of the vessel may have various sizes and shapes and may be at various locations in the vessel, as long as a bed of solids is present between the inlet and the outlet of the vessel.
  • the outlet as used in step (c) is a bottom outlet.
  • the bottom outlet comprises a cone valve. Suitable cone valves can be obtained from e.g. ISL Cone Valve Technology (Moreton in Marsh, UK).
  • the upper level of the bed of solvent-containing solids in the vessel is maintained between a preselected upper limit and lower limit. This, to ensure that a suitable pressure barrier is created between the solvent-containing solids stream at the first pressure and the depressurized solvent-containing solids stream at the second pressure. Also, the bed avoids or at least minimizes a vapour slip stream through the bed. This maintaining of the level of the bed may be done by for example using a cone valve discharge opening and properly adjusting the cross-sectional area of the cone valve discharge opening.
  • step (c) may be further processed to separate the solvent vapour from the solids, e.g. using a vessel, cyclone, scrubber or the like.
  • FIG. 1 schematically a non-limiting embodiment of a vessel suitable for use in a method in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 schematically shows a vessel suitable for use in a method in accordance with the present invention for handling a solvent-containing solids stream in a non-aqueous oil sand extraction process.
  • the vessel is generally referred to with reference numeral 1 .
  • the vessel 1 (with cone angle ⁇ ) has an inlet 2 , a bottom outlet 3 (comprising a cone valve 4 ) and a bed 5 of solvent-containing solids. Further, FIG. 1 shows the presence of a filter 7 , upstream of the vessel 1 .
  • a solvent-containing solids stream 10 is provided at a first pressure.
  • the solvent-containing solids stream 10 is a filter cake obtained from the filter 7 .
  • the solvent-containing solids stream 10 is deposited as a bed 5 in the vessel 1 .
  • the solvent-containing solids stream from the vessel 1 is discharged at a second pressure (which is lower than the first pressure) via the cone valve 4 of the bottom outlet 3 , thereby obtaining a depressurized solvent-containing solids stream 20 .
  • the upper level X of the bed 5 in the vessel 1 is maintained between a preselected upper limit A and lower limit B to ensure that a suitable pressure barrier is created between the solvent-containing solids stream 10 at the first pressure and the discharged depressurized solvent-containing solids stream 20 at the second pressure.
  • the depressurized solvent-containing solids stream 20 is at a temperature at or above the boiling point of the solvent at the second pressure. Because of the pressure decrease during the discharge, part or all of the solvent present in the solvent-containing solids stream 10 vaporizes.
  • the depressurized solvent-containing solids-stream can be removed via the cone valve 4 .
  • Table 1 shows a non-limiting example in which a filter cake coming from a filter unit is depressurized, using pentane as the non-aqueous solvent. Table 1 provides information on the vessel and conditions and compositions of the various streams, whilst using the scheme of FIG. 1 .
  • the pressurized filter cake is suitably depressurized using the method according to the present invention. Also, the pentane slip from the high pressure to the low pressure side of the bed is very low.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)
  • Extraction Or Liquid Replacement (AREA)
US14/166,355 2013-01-30 2014-01-28 Method of handling a solvent-containing solids stream in a non-aqueous oil sand extraction process Active 2035-06-22 US9611430B2 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

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US14/166,355 US9611430B2 (en) 2013-01-30 2014-01-28 Method of handling a solvent-containing solids stream in a non-aqueous oil sand extraction process

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US201361758350P 2013-01-30 2013-01-30
US14/166,355 US9611430B2 (en) 2013-01-30 2014-01-28 Method of handling a solvent-containing solids stream in a non-aqueous oil sand extraction process

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US9611430B2 true US9611430B2 (en) 2017-04-04

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5992050A (en) * 1998-02-26 1999-11-30 The French Oil Mill Machinery Company Desolventizer
US6279250B1 (en) * 1999-09-07 2001-08-28 Crown Iron Works Company Apparatus for enhanced solvent recovery from solvent extracted material
US20110127197A1 (en) * 2009-09-23 2011-06-02 Robert Lawrence Blackbourn Closed loop solvent extraction process for oil sands

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5992050A (en) * 1998-02-26 1999-11-30 The French Oil Mill Machinery Company Desolventizer
US6279250B1 (en) * 1999-09-07 2001-08-28 Crown Iron Works Company Apparatus for enhanced solvent recovery from solvent extracted material
US20110127197A1 (en) * 2009-09-23 2011-06-02 Robert Lawrence Blackbourn Closed loop solvent extraction process for oil sands

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CA2840858A1 (fr) 2014-07-30
US20140209511A1 (en) 2014-07-31
CA2840858C (fr) 2020-09-08

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